Mithraism

Mithras, the Sun God

Mithraism was one of the most popular of the pagan cults in the Roman Empire. It was based on worship of the sun god, Mithras, who like any good pagan god, represented a wide variety of things. He was a god of light, war, justice, faith, and contract. Mithras is usually represented as a human and is associated with the Greek sun god Helios and the Roman god, Sol Invictus.

History of Mithraism

Mithras was originally an Indo-Iranian god of contract and friendship, beginning around the fifteenth century BC. The Persians incorporated him into their system of beliefs as a sun god, but he eventually lost popularity to the religion of Zoroaster, which did not allow worship of pagan gods. From about 330 BC to 100 AD, there is very little mention of Mithras in Persian or Greco-Roman literature. However, in the early second century AD, there was a rapid resurgence of popularity throughout the Roman Empire. This was probably spread in part by the army. Mithraism quickly became one of the most common religions in the Empire and remained popular until Constantine's support of Christianity in the early fourth century AD.

The Central Myth: Mithras Slaying the Cosmic Bull

The central myth of Mithraism is essentially a creation story involving the sacrifice of a bull, which is depicted in much of the Mithraic artwork (example at right). Mithras was born of the Earth in the shade of a sacred tree beside a sacred stream holding a knife and a torch. He received word via a Raven from the Sun god that he was to slay the mystic white bull. Upon slaying the bull, the bull became the moon, and Mithras' cape became the sky. Day and night began to alternate, animals and plants were created, the seasons began to change, and time was created. Along with all of this, the battle between good and evil, of which man is a part, began. At this point, Mithras climbed into the Sun god's chariot and began to ride it across the sky.

Rituals and Interpretation

Most of the Roman cults of Mithras shared the same rituals and organization. The initiates were divided into seven classes, and were supposed to work their way up through them. This ascension represented the rising of the soul after death. Meetings were generally held in subterranean caves, most of which would hold no more than a few hundred worshippers. Within the cult there appeared to be no particular hierarchy: all of the full members were apparently equal. Initiations may have involved baptism, purifications, and chastisement. Regular ceremonies probably included a meal. One of the main tenets of Mithraic theology is that the soul of man descended from heaven through the realms of the seven plants, taking on vices at each level. The goal of the individual is to liberate his soul from these vices and thus ascend to the realm of the stars.